Common questions

When your check-in interval expires without a confirmation, TapAlive automatically sends an SMS to your stored emergency contacts. It contains your first name, the time and your last known location as a Google Maps link.

If there is still no reaction, a second and more explicit notification follows 6 hours later, recommending that your contacts check on you actively or get help. A single check-in stops the escalation immediately – your contacts then receive a short all-clear.

See the full process

No. TapAlive notifies your private contacts – not a dispatch centre. In an acute emergency, always call 110 (police) or 112 (emergency services) first.

Both numbers are available as quick dial in the app so you do not have to search for them. TapAlive is meant as a supplement: for the situations in which you can no longer make that call yourself.

Only the emergency contacts you entered yourself – and only when an SOS has been triggered or a check-in has been missed.

With Premium your call for help can additionally reach TapAlive users within 2 km. That feature is voluntary and can be switched off in both directions.

There is no continuous tracking. No location data is collected in the background while the app is closed. Location access is based on your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) and can be withdrawn at any time.

Yes. The check-in timer and the reminders continue through local notifications and push messages, even when the display is off or the app is not in the foreground.

For this to work reliably, two things need to be right: notifications for TapAlive must be allowed, and aggressive battery saving features (on some Android devices called „app optimisation“ or „battery manager“) should be disabled for TapAlive.

Location data is still only collected during an SOS or a check-in – never continuously in the background.

Transmission between app, website and server is encrypted using SSL/TLS. Storage takes place in an EU region (MongoDB Atlas).

There is no user account and no requirement to give your real name: TapAlive works with an anonymous device ID. Audio and alarm logs are deleted automatically after 30 days, one-time SMS codes after 10 minutes.

We work with Twilio for SMS delivery and RevenueCat for subscription management. Standard Contractual Clauses under Art. 46 GDPR are in place with US providers. All details are in the privacy policy.

Subscriptions are billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play and are managed there as well:

• iPhone / iPad: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → TapAlive → Cancel Subscription
• Android: Play Store → profile picture → Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions → TapAlive → Cancel subscription

The cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period – until then you can keep using every feature. Important: subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period.

Yes. No registration is needed – no email address and no password. On first launch TapAlive generates an anonymous device ID (UUID) that stays locally on your device.

A phone number is only needed if you want to use the buddy system, where it is used for verification by SMS code. Everything else works without personal details.

A buddy is a trusted person who receives signals below the emergency threshold:

• Battery warning: if your battery drops to 10 % or below, your buddy finds out – at most twice a day.
• „Arrived safely“: you announce your way home and confirm once you arrive. If the confirmation does not come, your buddy knows.

The connection is confirmed by SMS code – nobody can add you as a buddy without being asked, and you cannot add anybody either. Both features can be switched off at any time.

Every manual SOS is preceded by a 5-second countdown with a colour fade and vibration. During that time you can cancel the alarm with a tap and nobody notices a thing.

If the message has already gone out, you can send an all-clear to all contacts straight from the app. Please note: deliberately misusing emergency calls is a criminal offence under sec. 145 of the German Criminal Code – this concerns the quick dial to 110 and 112.

Without a signal no SMS can be sent – that is a technical limit no app can overcome. Your check-in reminders, however, continue locally and reach you offline as well.

This is exactly what the buddy battery warning is for: if your battery drops below 10 %, your trusted person knows you will soon be unreachable. We cannot guarantee timely delivery of messages – see section 8 of the Terms of Use.

Yes. You can delete your data directly in the app. After uninstalling or a deletion request, all personal data is removed within 30 days. Billing data is excluded, as we are required to keep it for 10 years under sec. 147 of the German Fiscal Code.

All three routes – deleting in the app, uninstalling, or sending a deletion request – are explained step by step on the Delete account & data page. For access and rectification an informal email to kontakt@viraai.de is enough.

TapAlive is intended for people aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. Purchasing a paid subscription additionally requires legal capacity to contract (see section 3 of the Terms of Use).